Impetus Battle Report - A Foreign Invader

Stu's wife gave him a 15mm painted Arab army for Xmas this year. The units were assembled as a Sultanate of Rum army as found in Extra Impetus #2. Eager to see if they could fight as well as they dressed, I brought along my Free Company army and challenged Stu to a 400-point game.

Stu's secondary command was comprised of Discipline C infantry.


The main command was made up of medium and light cavalry, all bow-armed.


Stu began a harassment run with his light cavalry. My skirmishers and longbowmen started going to work immediately.


Here's the battle early on. His mob of infantry (top right) made a slow advance towards my line allowing my army to concentrate primarily on his main (i.e. cavalry) command.


Before long my knights started clashing with his CL and CM units. Charges into the CL's flanks made it impossible for them to evade and left them trapped in melee combat, precisely where they are most vulnerable.


Although I was clearly going to lose my cavalry command, I was doing lots of permanent damage to Stu's force. Furthermore, as my secondary command, my cavalry arm could be lost without endangering my army as a whole.


The low discipline of Stu's infantry made it easy to keep them at bay. Once disordered they are difficult to re-order.


By the time Stu sent my cavalry packing his own cavalry command was wounded and disordered. My archers wheeled to face them and a couple of well-placed volleys took out half of his cavalry command's VD, which in turn, sent his entire army routing off the table.


Sorry for the brief report but, let's be honest, the main reason for the post was to show off photos of Stu's new army. It's a great-looking collection and, more importantly, it's a fun army to play against. I'm sure there'll be more games in the future.

Thanks for reading,
JET

Goblin Army - First Installment

Not so many months ago I would have professed having very little interest in either (a) 28mm Impetus or (b) Fantasy Impetus. However, when some guys in the group started lighting a 28mm Fantasy Impetus fire, I just couldn't help myself - it's hard to resist any project related to my favourite mass battle rule-set. To show that I've actually been doing something with a brush as of late, here's the first 200-point installment of my Goblin army.

Gutbar Bloodmoon (CH-Hero)

Napleoff, Goblin General (FL inc. general)

Goblin Spearmen (FL)

More Goblin Spearmen (FL)

Norkodemus & Bodyguard (FL + CH-Wizard)

Goblin Scouts (S)

Goblin Scouts (S)

So that's the core of my force. Including command structure and special abilities it comes in at just under 200 points. Currently on the workbench I have a half-painted troll and the necessary parts to start in on some Wolf Riders. I'll keep you all posted.

Thanks for reading,
JET

Workbench Update: Finally Some Fantasy Impetus Progress

After a two-week dry spell in the painting department, I finally picked up the brush and got down to business. Marc and I had an uninterrupted painting afternoon on Monday past (i.e. no spouses, no offspring) and while he finished off his elven cavalry, I finished the bulk of my goblin spearmen.


The front unit above contains my general (who is currently unnamed) with a regular unit in the back..


...with two more regular units for a total of four units of spearmen. Stat-wise, I based the goblins on Welsh infantry, so they are VBU:4, I:1, D:B with long spear. You can see my almost-complete hero in the background as well (the guy with the red shield).

I've begun the prep-work on four units of skirmishing archers and, with any luck, I might be able to put down a 200-point army this weekend. Keep your fingers crossed.

Thanks for reading,
JET

First Game of 28mm Fantasy Impetus

I've been a little lax in all areas of my geeking (including blogging) lately owing to the busyness of the impending Xmas season. However, Chris and Marc played the first test game of Fantasy Impetus last night and I managed to get a few usable shots of the action.


As you can see above, Marc has to finish basing his Elven cavalry but, that aside, the unit turned out quite awesome I think. Here we see his general and bodyguard eating through some large units of ratmen.


Chris brought along his newly-painted ruined tower. It's one of GW's new creations and, I have to say, it's really sweet. We used it in our Chaos In Carpathia game later in the evening as well.


The size of the table, as well as the move distances, are quite a leap from the 15mm scale we are used to playing in.


One of the final battles in the game. I believe that Marc's elves routed the rats and ended up winning the game.

This first test game was only about 200 points, about half of what we aim to play. At the very least, watching their game lit my Fantasy Impetus fires and I hope to have one productive painting day this week. Until then...

Thanks for reading,
JET

Workbench Update: More Fantasy Impetus Progress

Today, Marc and I decided to pool our Impetus enthusiasm by getting together to work on our 28mm fantasy armies. I plugged away at a batch of 20 Goblin Spearmen while Marc worked on a unit of High Elf Knights.

I admit, however, that I did get sidetracked into painting my goblin general and his pet squig. Most of the army is going to be garbed in black so I decided to select a few characters and to really make them pop with some contrasting colours. When this model gets nestled in amongst his black-clad brethren he should really stand out.

On another note, some of GW's design choices I'll never really understand. For example, why (and how) is this guy holding up (yet alone wielding) a blade that is as big as his body? Goblin enthusiasm I guess.

Marc brought along a couple of units of Elf Spearmen that he had recently based. There was some talk of Warhammer a couple of years back but it never really materialized. I think they look much better based for Impetus.


With any luck I'll steal another hour or so today and forge ahead with the Goblin Spearmen. I'll keep you all posted.

Thanks for reading,

JET

Workbench Update: Warhammer Goblins for Impetus

Life has been busy as of late but I have managed to get my Fantasy Impetus Goblin army off the ground. Some of you may recall that I had painted a Chaos Knight test model a while back. I was pleased with the results but the models are just so darn busy that I had a hard time getting inspired by them. For the time being I've laid them aside and moved onto the Skull Pass Goblins that Ken gave me a while back. Here's the first unit of Spearmen (FL) all ready for basing. I've given them the same stat line as the historical Welsh Spearmen.


As you can see, I'm going with a pretty simple approach. The only area of the models that I've giving a proper series of highlights is the green skin.

Here's a Goblin Hero. Independent characters are based with half the usual frontage (i.e. 6cm instead of 12cm).


Monsters are also based with 6cm frontage. I'm giving this Troll the Continuous Charge and Flammable rules.


The current state of the painting table. I hope to move through everything you see here (in addition to spider riders and wolf riders) pretty quickly. I'm aiming to have the bulk of the army finished before Xmas.


Marc is currently working on his High Elves and Chris has already made an impressive start on his Skaven. I think we'll start playing sometime over the Xmas holidays. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for reading,
JET

The Curse of the Dertflinghans: Chapter Nine

excerpt from DR. RICHARD ALCOCK'S JOURNAL

25 April. The Old Graveyard of Dertflinghan - We set out from Dertflinghan yesterday on the East road towards the Old Graveyard. In hindsight, it would have been wiser to wait until today and leave at first light, but as soon as the the scrap of the nun's journal was found, Mannleigh insisted on heading out straight away. After seeing his dogged determination I saw that argument would be futile, so we packed up and headed down the road as fast as we were able. We were accompanied by Sister Benedicta's bodyguard Hugo Forst. Although a little on the boastful side for my tastes, he does seem able to handle himself in a tight spot and will hopefully be an asset to our cause.

By the time we reached the graveyard the sun was already beginning its descent. The darkness replaces the light so quickly in this land. It is most unnatural.

The Austrians moved along the perimeter.


Ms. Poundwood caught sight of a crumbling statue and the ground at its base showed signs of recent excavation. Upon closer examination she discovered the grisly remains of a body in the fresh earth. I noticed that it showed signs of being recently defiled with bite and claw marks all over. Weapons were readied.


Just as we were making this discovery, I was startled from my examination by Rutter's bark. He and his master were running down the main path towards some advancing figure in the gathering darkness. Within seconds I heard the resonating sound of Mannleigh's battle cry. Any chance at a stealthy approach was lost. Mannleigh is a great friend for whom I hold the greatest respect, but in truth, his impulsiveness can be most vexing.


It was then that Ms. Poundwood, Hugo, and myself became aware of more figures in the advancing darkness. It seemed that we would have to fight our way to the mausoleums then.


Judging by the shouts and sounds of rifle fire coming from the other end of the graveyard, it was obvious that our Austrian allies were not without their own problems.


As the others were becoming embroiled in a bitter conflict with the creatures of the night, I decided to take a different kind of action. Seeing that Mannleigh had gained the upperhand against the demonkin with whom he was engaged, I ran to the mausoleum entrance behind him and, finding the doors locked, used as much force as I could muster to gain access. The doors fell open and a blast of musty foul air shot out of the dark chamber. In a moment, Mannleigh was beside me with sword drawn and out of breadth. A thin ray of moonlight shone into the interior and revealed a staircase going down into the earth. This was to be no easy search then.


We headed down into the catacombs with nothing but a flickering torch and the brave Rutter to guide our feet.


Then, without warning, a foul creature shot out of the darkness and I can honestly say that it took all three of us to send the thing scampering away with its tail between its legs (so to speak).


At the far end of the gallery I could just make out a dark shape hovering over a sarcophagus, pulling its contents out in a most horrifying fashion. If I ever survive this expedition, I can say with some certainty that the images of these vampiric children shall haunt my dreams and I fear that I shall never again know a peaceful night.


As I stood for a moment in my reverie, transfixed by the colossal grandeur of the mighty tomb, Mannleigh had charged into the darkness, aware of some hidden figure that I could not detect. I heard a clashing of swords and, judging by the bloodcurdling scream that followed, Mannleigh must have dealt the creature a crippling blow. (He told me later that, after impaling it on his sword, the foul thing dissipated into a damp mist right before his eyes)


With the head vampire defeated, the rest of the creatures seemed to disappear into the night. We found our companions on the surface no worse for wear and wasted no time in getting to the task at hand. We descended back into the earth, and after a thorough search, found that the various mausoleums provided access to the same sprawling catacombs beneath. It was a hellish job, searching through the remains of those sarcophagi, even more so thanks to the work of generations of vampires and ghouls, but our horror reached its height when we opened the eastern-most sarcophagus.

As the lid fell away, it was obvious that the corpse was relatively fresh and certainly couldn't be the original occupant of the sarcophagus. Furthermore, his horrible posture and extended arms showed that he had been sealed in while still alive. Upon closer examination I noticed a few lines of text scratched in the underside of the sarcophagus lid. It read:

MY HAND WAS FORCED

LEAVE THIS LAND

TRUST NO ONE

KASTOR VON DERTFLINGHAN

The weight of those few lines hit the party with the force of a tidal wave. If the letter that brought us to this land was written under false pretenses, who could have been behind it and what could their purpose have been in leading Mannleigh to this cursed place? The dead man's warning causes my thoughts to go out to Sister Benedicta. Mannleigh agrees and we have decided to head back to Dertflinghan at first light - RA.

<< Chapter Eight | Chapter Ten >>

Game Talk:

It's been a while since the last installment, mostly because I had mentioned in The Hand of the Almighty that Mannleigh and his companions were heading to the Old Graveyard and I had to finish (i.e. start) making the catacombs. As you can see from the picture below, I painted a tile for each mausoleum and then a collection of random dungeon tiles. These will match the cellar tiles from my buildings as well, so underground networks below towns will be possible as well.


The skull token marks a secret door (which nobody found).


The entrance to the catacombs from the largest of the mausoleums. The statues are made from wood blocks, cardboard, and a couple of old Warmaster models I had lying around.


The columns are the easiest (and the most effective in my opinion). They are wine corks glued to round plastic bases and painted to match the floors.


The sarcophagi were made from card and styrofoam. The "ornamental" pieces on the top are cheap hinges from wooden boxes (the ones I made Grunberg's Asylum out of, in fact). I knew I saved them for a reason.


The game was a modified Seek & Find scenario. Using my new furniture house rules, characters could search the four sarcophagi, statue in the graveyard, pool, and the chest for a total of seven possible objective finds. At the end of the scenario, 1 VP was awarded to the warband that found the most objectives and 1 VP to the warband that ended with the most objectives. Ms. Poundwood found one in the pool.


Lyleth escaping with her objective at the end of the game.


During the last round of the game, we were tied for VP's since we each had found and held two objectives and the head vampire was alive. However, when Mannleigh delivered the killing blow to the Count he took one of the objectives AND killed a Master of Evil, all in one move. Bastard.

Found most objectives (1 VP) - 2 each, neither player
Held most objectives at game's end (1 VP) - Monster Hunters
Capture Female Victim (1 VP) - n/a
Kill Master of Evil (1 VP) - Monster Hunters

Result:
2 VP Monster Hunters
0 VP Romanian Vampires
= major victory for Monster Hunters

In other news, Jordin has ordered the models for his Nosferatu warband so we now officially have four players for Chaos in Carpathia in our group. Can you say "tournament?"

Thanks for reading,
JET